DAIVA MATONIENE

From Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs) to Action: Local Climate Leadership in Türkiye

Abstract

The EU4 Energy Transition: Covenant of Mayors in the Western Balkans and Türkiye (EU4ETTR) project supports municipalities in turning Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs) into measurable, actionable outcomes. This Multi Donor Action is jointly co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by GIZ in the Western Balkans and the Lithuanian Central Project Management Agency (CPMA) in Türkiye.

In Türkiye, the project established the Multi-Level Governance Platform for Climate (MLGP4Climate), now connecting over 70 municipalities and 35 associations with national institutions and international partners. The platform enables structured collaboration, expert working groups, and access to a digital portal offering more than 700 resources, including funding calls, guides, and SECAP tools. Through MLGP4Climate, municipalities receive tailored support to develop or revise their SECAPs, secure climate financing, and launch impactful mitigation and adaptation projects—closing the gap between strategy and implementation.

The platform also supports alignment with national policy and EU climate frameworks, contributing to Türkiye’s 2053 net-zero target. MLGP4Climate illustrates how institutionalized multi-level governance can transform local governments into proactive climate actors—and serves as a replicable model for accelerating municipal climate action across diverse governance contexts.

Biography

Daiva Matonienė has 25 years of experience in the field of sustainable environment, climate change, and public finance management. She holds a master’s degree in economic sciences and a bachelor’s degree in management. She was appointed as an Ambassador of the Covenant of Mayors initiative and has extensive experience in sustainable energy and climate policy development, as well as SECAP implementation. She previously served as Deputy Mayor responsible for public finance and environmental management, and as Deputy Minister of Environment in Lithuania. She is currently serving as the Team Leader of the EU4 Energy Transition: Covenant of Mayors in Western Balkans and Türkiye project.